James 3:5-7 -- "So also the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. A great forest can be set on fire by one tiny spark. And the tongue is a flame on fire, it is full of wickedness and poisons every part of the body. And the tongue is set on fire by hell itself, and can turn our whole lives into a blazing flame of destruction and disaster." (The Living Bible)

        It is a fire. There is nothing more destructive than fire. It is easy to start a fire. Drop a match on a dry bush and presently a whole forest is aflame, and the destruction is complete. One careless word tossed thoughtlessly or maliciously from the mouth can start a fire that wil destroy a life. One lie, one sentence of gossip, one evil insinuation, and the conflagration begins. Human hearts are often dry tender, devoid of the milk of kindness and the water of mercy. That is the reason evil words and malicious gossip spread like wildfire and result in character assassination and the destruction of all that is good and holy. The church itself and the program of Christ can be immeasurably damaged by the tongue. Small wonder the Bible deals so specifically and plainly with this matter.

        A lot of trouble in this world is caused by combining a narrow mind with a wide mouth. It defileth the whole body.

James 3:6 (KJV)
⁶ And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. James 3:6

        James calls the tongue a deadly poison. It can strike without warning like a deadly serpent. It can cause immeasurable pain and suffering. How many hearts have been broken, how many lives destroyed by the tongue?

        This is important for the church because the church is the body of Christ. Every member of the church is a member of the body. When one member suffers, the whole body is affected. What one person says, therefore, affects all of the other members of the body, the health and the efficiency and effectiveness of the whole body.

1 Cor. 12:12 through 1 Cor. 12:26 (KJV)
¹² For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. ¹³ For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. ¹⁴ For the body is not one member, but many. ¹⁵ If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁶ And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? ¹⁸ But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. ¹⁹ And if they were all one member, where were the body? ²⁰ But now are they many members, yet but one body. ²¹ And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. ²² Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: ²³ And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. ²⁴ For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: ²⁵ That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. ²⁶ And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

        A terrible tree grows in Australia, called by the natives "the stinging tree." Try to imagine a monster nettle -- a nettle grown as big as a tree -- if you want to get a little idea of its characteristics. Luckily, it has a very unpleasant odor, so that the natives and animals can more easily avoid it. At first the sting or prick of the tree's thorns does not trouble one at all; he feels no pain whatever. But in a few minutes he is in agony. Weeks and months afterward he suffers if water touches the wound. When a dog is pricked by it, it is pitiful to hear him whine and cry, and to see him bite pieces of flesh from the place that has been stung. Think how much this is like the stinging tongue? All men and animals avoid these human nettles as much as possible, but alas! unlike the stinging tree, they are not stationary, but move about freely, inflicting their poison upon those who do not seek them, or come carelessly into their neighborhood. And the poison lasts. Weeks and months and a whole lifetime afterward the wound burns and rankles. The stinging tongue may even be still in death, yet the misery is wrought still lives. Oh, you who ever speak unkindly, think of it/1

        The wrong use of the tongue has destroyed homes, churches, and long time friendships. It has started wars. One of the most far reaching, costly, and devastating wars between tribes of the American Indians grew out of two children quarreling over a grass hopper.

        During the Second World War, mottoes urging the public not to discuss military matters were everywhere. One was, "Little words sink big ships."

        I've always enjoyed the story about the high school student who asked his father to help him write a composition on how wars start. "Well, now, let's suppose we got into a quarrel with Canada," his father began. "That's ridiculous," his mother interrupted.. "Why should we quarrel with Canada?" "That's beside the point," her husband said. "I was merely using an example . . . ." "If you had an ounce of brains you wouldn't make such stupid . . . ." replied the mother. "Who do you think you're talking to?" shouted the father. "I want to teach my son . . . ." "Your son!" the mother screamed. "I suppose I had nothing to do with his being here. You just found him someplace . . . ." "Pleas folks," the boy pleaded. "Forget it. I just figured it out for myself."

        The tongue is referred to as "an unruly evil."

James 3:8 (KJV)
⁸ But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

        The word "unruly" means restlessness. It suggests the nervousness of a snake just before it strikes at its victim. "Evil" means "dormant."

        So the picture is complete. James sees the unregenerate tongue as an asp. In its mouth is its sac of death bringing poison. This evil is dormant, but may be roused to action at the slightest provocation. This tongue with its deadly potential is poised like a restless asp whose head moves nervously from side to side. Without warning when provoked to action it strikes out to sink its fangs in its unfortunate victim. The dormant evil becomes active as the sac of poison is emptied into the victim's bloodstream bring death to him.

        The Holy Spirit through Paul speaks of the tongue of the wicked. "Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness." The tongue is compared to an asp, a poisonous Egyptian snake.

        Dr. Hershel Hobbs referred to the tongue as "a snake in your mouth." A snake, coiled and ready to strike, ready to poison its victim." Proverbs 18:21 -- "Death and life are in the power of the tongue."

        Words an powerful and oh, how they can hurt.

Prov. 12:18 (KJV)
¹⁸ There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.

Prov. 16:27 (KJV)
²⁷ An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.

Prov. 18:6 (KJV)
⁶ A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.

        Proverbs lists seven things that God hates and four of them are the wrong use of the tongue.

Prov. 6:16 through Prov. 6:19 (KJV)
¹⁶ These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: ¹⁷ A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, ¹⁸ An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, ¹⁹ A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

        Please notice that lying, plotting evil, fake witness and sowing discord are all sins of the tongue that God hates.

        Erwin L. McDonald tells of a woman who called the editor of a religious publication and asked if he'd be interested in carrying a story on how to get rid of termites. He explained that he could not use the story because there was no religious connections. As he thought more and read up on the habit of termites, he decided there were a lot of "church termites." A termite, according to the encyclopedias, stands near the bottom of the scale of insect life. He is about as sneaking and under handed as any member of the insect society. he seeks darkness, he will hide away to do his dirty work of undermining on whatever he latches himself. He has a lot of his destructive work accomplished before anybody but his termite buddies knows what is going on. They have awfully soft shells and so they are easy to get their feelings hurt but they are mighty hard to get rid of.

        We believe the application is clear. Certainly church numbers who hang onto the church for what it means to them but who mean nothing but trouble and hindrance to the church are a bit like the termite. So are they who are always going about trying to create a stink or disturbance.

        A pastor said to his congregation, "I believe it would be to God's glory if some members of this church were struck dumb -- if they had their ability to speak taken away."

        A foul mouth is the mark of a polluted heart. If one carrying a bucket of water is inadvertently bumped or jostled by someone else, he spills water; for he can spill only what is in the bucket. Amid the jostling of life, we can spill out of the lips only what is in the heart. If our experience with Christ is shallow and insincere, grievous and bitter words must come. Only when we are living in close communion and fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ will our words benefit and bless the world.

        "Let me look at your tongue," is the first work of the physician to a sick man. That is a sure test of the condition of his bodily health. It is an equally good test of the condition of a man's heart and soul.

        The tongue is important because words are vehicles of thought. They express ideas and ideals. They reveal the thoughts of the mind and the heart. They declare what a man is in his heart. If we wish to know what the tongue is, the answer is simple. The tongue is the pen of the heart. That is what Jesus declared. "But evil words come from an evil heart, and defile the man who says them. For from the heart came evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, lying and slander. These are what defile." "That which is in the well of the heart is bound to come up in the bucket of speech."

        I copied the following from a devotional booklet: "Tongue cleaning is an ancient Asian custom that is being introduced into our western culture. Studies done at an American university show that the use of a plastic tongue cleaner can reduce the buildup of dental plaque, a substance that leads to tooth decay. One enterprising businessman has even arranged for a large chain of drug stores to sell packages of tongue cleaners. If the idea catches on, Americans could have cleaner mouths. This concept was new to me, although I vividly remember something else that cleans mouths. As a child, I had my mouth washed out with soap for using the Lord's name in vain at the dinner table. Well, it worked, for I never did it again.

        I wish keeping the mouth spiritually clean were as easy as using a plastic device or a bar of soap. Just think what is would mean to have a tongue that didn't gossip, express negative criticism, give vent to abusive anger, speak unloving words, break confidences, and engage in foolish bablings. Imagine how helpful it would be if we had an effective way to keep from saying too much when we know very little, or to keep from remaining silent when we have something vital to say.

        I heard of a man who had trouble with his watch. He took the hands off the watch and took them to the watch maker and said, "These hands need fixing. They don't tell the right time." The watch maker smiled and said, "Bring me the works of your watch. The trouble isn't with the hands; the trouble is inside the watch." The inside, the heart, must first be cleansed if they which proceeds from it is to be clean.

Matt. 23:24 through Matt. 23:28 (KJV)
²⁴ Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. ²⁵ Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. ²⁶ Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. ²⁷ Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. ²⁸ Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

        When Sir Walter Raleigh was led to be executed, he was asked if his head lay right. He answered, "It matters little, my friend, how the head lies provided the heart is right." It is a sobering fact that words once spoken can never be recalled.

        It is a sobering fact that words once spoken can never be recalled.

        Martin Vanbee said, "If your foot slips, you can recover your balance, but if your tongue slips, you cannot recall your words."

        A little girl asked a man to pick a flower for her, which he did. She looked at it, smelled it, handed it to the man and said, "Now please put it back!" As the flower cannot be returned to its stem, neither can the spoken word ever be recalled to the lips. Words are dangerous. Once they wing their way, they are gone and never come back. We may be sorry and apologize for what we have said, but the damage is done. No wonder our Lord tells us in Proverbs 21:23, "Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles." It has been wisely said, "A loose tongue gets its owner into many a tight place."

        There was a peasant with a troubled conscience who went to a monk for advice. He said he had circulated a vile story about a friend, only to find out the story was not true. "If you want to make peace with your conscience," said the monk, "you must fill a bag with chicken feathers, go to every dooryard in the village, and drop in each one of them one fluffy feather." The peasant did as he was told. Then he came back to the monk and announced he had done penance for his folly. "Not yet," replied the monk. "Take your bag make the rounds again and gather up every feather that you have dropped." "But the wind must have blown them all away," said the peasant. Words are easily dropped, but no matter how hard you try, you can never get them back again."

        A word unspoken does not exist; but a word spoken can never cease to be. A poet emphasized this truth as he said: Boys flying kites haul in their whit-winged birds, You can't do that when you're flying words. Thoughts unexpressed sometimes drop back dead, But God himself can't kill them when they're said.

II.   Words Can Be Such A Blessing To Others.

        James says that no man can tame the tongue.(James 3:8) It is only by the help of the Holy Spirit that we can control the tongue. One has said, "A man can control a train, a ship, a plane, but it takes the help of the Holy Spirit to control the tongue and temper."

        When one is saved, the Holy Spirit takes up His abode in his heart and He helps this new Christian to grow and develop and become more like his Lord.

1 Cor. 6:19 through 1 Cor. 6:20 (KJV)
¹⁹ What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? ²⁰ For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

        "But when the holy Spirit controls our lives He will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control; and here there is no conflict with Jewish laws. Those who belong to Christ have nailed their natural evil desires to His cross and crucified them. Then if we are living now by the Holy Spirit's power let us follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives. Then we won't need to look for honors and popularity, which lead to jealousy and hard feelings." (The Living Bible)

        Paul is an excellent example of how Christ can change a sinner and enable him to live a Christ like life.

Acts 26:9 through Acts 26:16 (KJV)
⁹ I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. ¹⁰ Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. ¹¹ And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. ¹² Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, ¹³ At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. ¹⁴ And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. ¹⁵ And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. ¹⁶ But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

1 Cor. 15:9 (KJV)
⁹ For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

1 Tim. 1:12 through 1 Tim. 1:14 (KJV)
¹² And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; ¹³ Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. ¹⁴ And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

        Paul's desire now is to preach the gospel and win people to Him.

Rom. 1:14 through Rom. 1:16 (KJV)
¹⁴ I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. ¹⁵ So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. ¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Rom. 9:1 through Rom. 9:3 (KJV)
¹ I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, ² That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. ³ For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: Romans 1:14-16, 9:1-3

        When our tongue is under the poser of the Holy spirit and directed by Him, it's use will be a blessing to others and its use will be pleasing in the sight of the Lord.

        Miss Bertha visited a shutin. Miss Bertha was a dedicated Christian living her life for others. After the visit, the sick woman said, "Miss Bertha came by and talked a blue streak for half an hour and never said anything unkind or ungracious about anybody."

        John Bunyan was won to Jesus from our hearing the conversation of two godly women. Benjamin Franklin said, "I will speak ill of no man and all the good I know of everybody."

        I heard a story about Doctor George Truitt. Mr. Truitt was the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas for forty four years. One day, in his older years, he became ill and lapsed into a coma for some time. He came out of the coma, this great Christian, mellow, tender, soul winning godly pastor, and as he came to teh nurse by his bedside said, "Dr. Truitt, we're glad you're back with us. You've been away from us. You haven' been speaking to us, recognizing us, or knowing us. You've been in a coma. We're glad you're back with us." It is said that that godly Christian said, "Will you tell me; while I was in that coma did I say anything or do anything that would grieve my Lord or hurt my testimony?" May God help us to honor our Lord by what we say.